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Brain implant boosts human memory by mimicking how we learn

It’s all starting to take shape

Lea Paterson/Science Photo Library

By Jessica Hamzelou

A “memory prosthesis” brain implant has enhanced human memory for the first time. The device is comprised of electrodes implanted in the brain, and is designed to mimic the way we naturally process memories, and can boost performance on memory tests by up to 30 per cent. A similar approach may work for enhancing other brain skills, such as vision or movement, says the team behind the work.

“We are writing the neural code to enhance memory function,” says Dong Song of the University of Southern …